Resource Library

Postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disability have a variety of names. The name of a program sets the tone for families and students, and other key supporters, of what to expect from that program. The authors sought to address a lack of guidance on considerations for naming a postsecondary education program for students with intellectual disability by first analyzing the names of existing programs for common words and themes. Using data from the Think College programs directory, the authors coded the words and themes in 310 program names.

This session shared findings from an IES-funded study analyzing data from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012 to examine the college and employment preparation activities of youth with intellectual disability and autism. Results provide useful and actionable strategies for knowledge translation to improve policies, programs, and practices in secondary transition.

Attached is a PowerPoint presentation shared by Meg Grigal and Clare Papay at the Council for Exceptional Children 2022 Virtual Convention. If you attended the virtual presentation, please feel free to contact Clare Papay at clare.papay@umb.edu with your questions or feedback.

In this Insight Brief, we explain Memoranda of Understanding (MOU). An MOU is used to describe an agreement between parties; it outlines each party’s roles and responsibilities and helps to avoid confusion and miscommunication. They are used in inclusive postsecondary education to define relationships between the institution of higher education, employers, school districts, and other relevant parties. This publication describes the core components of MOU, their usage within a college program for students with intellectual disability, and their advantages and disadvantages.

Amanda Warren, Carol Britton Laws, and Jennifer Graves presented on three peer mentor models and perspectives of peer mentoring within inclusive higher education settings of a community college, private university, and public university.

This legislation, passed in May 2022, created a new inclusive higher education grant program to support IPSE at state institutions. The bill creates a state fund with $450K added annually to support IHE programs at institutions across the state. Awardees are selected by an administering agency chosen competitively by the state.

Dr. Tobey Partch-Davies provides information on microcredentials and explains how they can be used to document formal and informal learning. Dr. Partch-Davies shares examples of how UNH-4U is documenting student competencies using digital badging.

The Higher Education Opportunities Act of 2008 created grants for Transition and Postsecondary Education Programs for Students with Intellectual Disability (TPSID) model demonstration projects. These projects have been implemented since 2010 at campuses across the United States. This slide deck shares findings from a recent evaluation of 38 TPSID programs in 2020-2021. It 10 year trend data related to inclusive course access, career development, campus membership, credential attainment and employment outcomes at these programs.

This resource provides three examples of forms that are used at college programs for students with ID that outline course modifications for courses that are audited.  The use of a form like this ensures that there are meaningful learning goals for the student in the class and the faculty are clear on the modifications allowed.

Course Modification agreement from Tallahassee Community College, which allows goals to be personalized for students auditing courses. 

How can families of children with disabilities plan for lasting financial security at every stage of life? Find clear answers in The Special Needs Planning Guide, a step-by-step companion for parents as they progress through the complexities of planning for the future of their family and their child. Written by two financial planning experts who are also a parent and a sibling of a person with disabilities, and including contributions from a nationally recognized advocate, this bestselling how-to guide is now in its second edition.